Fractured Innocents
by QuintossentialGray
Summary: An homage to the film Heavenly Creatures done Mylar style. Two young men in the 1950's meet and fall into a friendship that will save and ruin them both. Violence warning,spoilers for the film not for Heroes really.
1. Chapter 1

Branches snapped in rapid succession and that sound mixed with harsh, ragged panting. Two sets of legs moved briskly and frantically through the thickly-wooded brush and out into the nearby clearing on the edge of the small town in Northeast Vermont. Both figures that emerged shared only two physical traits: twin brown eyes and bodies that were completely slathered in glistening, crimson blood. One stumbled forward from the momentum of his dashing movements. The other quickly ran back to check on the fallen man. Because, it was for the shared good of each other that things had even gone this far.

_**Three years prior...**_

"Gabriel, put your stupid book down and get the ball!"

Soft brown eyes slowly shifted up from his page and Gabriel remained seated. They slowly followed the pale orange ball as it rolled across the hardwood gymnasium floor. A complete lack of interest, in fact, a barely veiled hostility etched his pale, sharp features. Just as soon as the boy's eyes left the page, they resumed their place without a word spoken. Quick, quiet words were whispered out amongst Gabriel's classmates. The cruel snickering remarks of teenage boys filled the room, cut into by the shrill whistle of the class's instructor. He had often had to reprimand Gabriel's peers for whatever mockery the boy was put through as a result of his quiet, standoffish nature.

All the while Gabriel's ears burned with every insult made against him that he could pick up on. He tried to plunge himself deeply back into the story but was interrupted by the sudden flash of orange that caused his book to clatter to the floor, and a sudden stinging pain to explode from his nose out across his face. The room erupted into a chorus of laughter as once again the instructor attempted to discipline his miscreant students. Just as Gabriel was about to stand up and confront the boy who he knew threw that ball, the gymnasium door creaked open.

In walked one of the Academy's advisors shepherding in yet another new student. Tears of pain began to fog up Gabriel's glasses and he was forced to wipe them off on his thin white cotton p.e. shirt. When he replaced the slightly over-sized, thick-rimmed black spectacles onto his face, Gabriel was completely awe-struck at what he saw. He was so unlike the others. Sparkling amber eyes, rich coffee-colored skin, thick curly hair, and an intoxicating smile. He carried himself in such a care-free and confident manner. Gabriel didn't even realize he was staring until those eyes locked onto his own. Instantly, Gabriel blushed at such an interesting and exotic creature looking upon him.

"Class, we have a new student joining the academy today. This is Mohinder Suresh."

Even the name was extraordinary, it practically vibrated the tongue once uttered. After a moment or two, Gabriel glanced back around the room. All of the other boys had resumed their trifling game. Was he really the only one looking at the boy? Was Mohinder really only looking over at him, in turn?

A slow trickle of blood escaped Gabriel's nose from his recent injury. A rush of color flooded his cheeks once more as he turned away from the other boy. Mohinder walked forward in his vertically striped white and mauve shirt with beige slacks. He retrieved from his pocket a pink and orange paisley patterned handkerchief. It was offered to the injured boy while he bent down and collected the book from the floor.

Gabriel couldn't help but to stare at the beautiful, silk material for a moment before he took it. Dabbing around his nostrils until he felt no more blood creeping over his skin. When he pulled the handkerchief away again and stared at the crimson splotches soaked into the material, Mohinder spoke for the first time.

"Hm. I've always felt that Dickens was an extremely dry read."

Slowly, Gabriel re-folded the handkerchief with neat precision as he listened to Mohinder's rich, cultured lilt. He pursed his lips and arched a lustrous brow as he stood up, his hand out for the book.

"Oh? What exactly do you read then that's so thrilling?"

A sly grin spread over Mohinder's face as he handed the book back to the other boy. It was then that Gabriel noticed the boy wore a satchel on his shoulder. Mohinder reached inside of it and produced a small stack of leather-bound journals. Without hesitation, Mohinder handed them to his peer. Gabriel began to leaf through them quietly but with a fixed interest.

"Well...I write my own stories um...Sorry, I didn't yet catch your name."

Gabriel closed the book he held in his hands and adjusted his glasses before one of his pale hands out toward Mohinder.

"Gabriel Gray...Mohinder, right?"

Suresh smiled and briskly shook the taller man's hand.

"Yes...yes that's right, Gabriel."

He paused for a beat as the two shared a silence with their hands still clasped. Finally, Mohinder raised a brow and eagerly leaned in toward Gabriel.

"Tell me...have you ever read any Darwin before Gabriel?"

Gabriel's eyes sparkled instantly when Mohinder said that name. Evolution was an extremely taboo subject at the academy as well as in his own home. For this man to bring up such a subject within mere moments of meeting him? Gabriel's intrigue with this living fascination grew.


	2. Chapter 2

Never before had Gabriel invited a boy over to his house. But Mohinder didn't make him feel at all self-conscious when he looked around at Gabriel's modest surroundings. The Grays didn't have much at all. Gabriel's father worked at a factory and Virginia stayed at home. As the only son, Gabriel faced a lot of pressure to strengthen his family's legacy. The boy had dreams of more. Of living a life of adventure and distinction like the characters in the books he spent most of his time reading. One more practical, though still out-of-reach, dream of his was becoming a professional watchmaker.

When he was a young boy, Gabriel went to New York with his parents and while there, he visited a watch shop. As he viewed the shops proprietor manipulate each timepiece's cogs and gears—a great love and respect for the art of horology was instilled into the boy. This interest presented itself in the simple act of the love of fixing things. He spent many hours from that day forth taking apart then repairing anything he could get a hold of. His mother's alarm clock or his father's gold pocket-watch were frequent victims of Gabriel's tinkering. As soon as Gabriel arrived home he led Mohinder through his house and straight to his bedroom. Thankfully, his mother was busy tending to her garden in the backyard when they first arrived. During dinner the other night, Gabriel was wheedled into talking about his new friend. And after such an interrogation, Gabriel had no intention of putting Mohinder through that personally.

Mohinder tossed his satchel onto Gabriel's bed and sat down next to it. Mohinder's father, Chandra also had a curiosity about his son's friend. Gabriel Gray was talked about at length in the Suresh household. Mohinder had even been told to ask the Grays over dinner some evening.

Gabriel picked up his multi-lens glasses from his dresser and sat them back onto his desk. After Mohinder dug around for a bit, he found the stack of books that the two would be adding another chapter to. Mohinder glanced back then turned toward his companion.

"Does your door lock?"

A slight nod and then Gabriel moved to his bedroom door. His pale hand twisted and latched a couple of pieces before walking back to his desk.

"It didn't used to, but I decided that my mother shouldn't be able to deny me my privacy by barging in whenever she wanted."

Virginia was extremely upset the day she had to knock in order to gain to entrance to her own son's room. But Gabriel felt it was only appropriate that his room be his sanctuary and his escape. Though now he had other mean with which to get away from it all.

He slid his hand along the surface of the cherry-hued Mahogany.

"It's really not as complicated as it might look, Mohinder."

Suresh leaned to the side of the squeaky, stiff mattress. His eyes roamed over not only the intricate design but the young boy next to it.

"Whatever you say, Gabriel. Now then have you thought about where we should begin today?"

Mohinder nodded at the stack of books next to him. Gabriel took a silver and white pen and moved to the bed, sitting down next to Mohinder. He reached out to pass the writing implement to his friend; their fingers grazed so slightly and caused a spark in both men. Mohinder smiled and set the tip to the paper. Gabriel scooted a little closer as he spoke.

"What was the last thing we wrote…oh yeah... So Dr. Suresh walked into the magnificent shop of the Watchmaker—eager to tell the man news of what he could do…"

"—_Powers are end-less, you could be the one to save the world from the Chimera"_

_The Watchmaker stood up and brushed a hand through his dark smooth strands, pushing them over to the right more. His amber eyes lit up at the sound of the fantastical._

"_Wait. You mean a Chimera? The beast with two heads and a serpent for a tail…they exist?"_

_Suresh shook his head, soft curls flinging to and fro'. He stood by the Watchmaker and set a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly._

"_No. But the truth is just as incredible…this is a man. A man who can emulate abilities of others such as yourself, from mere physical contact."_

_His nimble fingers slid along the fabric of the Watchmaker's sleeve._

"_He sounds dangerous Suresh…I can barely move a teacup with my mind let alone fight someone so powerful. I fix watches…I understand complex systems, I am not a fighter."_

_Suresh pursed his lips and nodded, gripping the Watchmaker's shoulder just a little tighter._

"_The Watchmaker cannot fight the Chimera…but the man he could become, can. There is a man inside of you who can wield the power to bend the delicate fibers of space, who can create explosions with a mere blink of an eye. But you need to find this man and I will help you."_

_When the Watchmaker stood up he removed the black-framed glasses from his nose and folded them in, he set them aside and looked at Suresh dead-on in eyes of a matching amber hue._

"_I'm ready to try but why did you come all of this way? Why me?"_

_Suresh adjusted the striped scarf cradled around his thin mocha neck. His eyes stared off in the distance as he spoke._

"_I suppose I'd chalk it up to…destiny."_

Mohinder stopped moving the pen and read over what they'd wrote thus far, the grin on his face widened at each word. But Gabriel…he was _still in_ that world. He was reaching out and feeling the soft fabric of Dr. Suresh's scarf between his fingertips and finding it slightly thread-worn but no less exquisite.

"Have you thought about your name?"

It took him a moment to snap back into…this world. Gabriel turned to Mohinder, confusion etched onto his features.

"My name? Do you mean in the story?"

Mohinder nodded, pen at his lips, slightly in between them.

"Mhm. When your character becomes more than the Watchmaker. What do you want him to be called?"

Gabriel laid his head against his pillow, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. Long, lanky legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle next to Mohinder. Then it hit him and his eyes sparkled with inspiration. The young man rolled off his bed and strode across the room over to his dresser. He searched through the drawers and gasped softly when his fingers curled around the intended object, a simple silver watch with a black face. Gabriel brought it over to Mohinder and set it gently down on the bed.

"I bought this in New York…It took months of my allowance but it's the most treasured thing I own. Look at the name on the face."

Mohinder loved this side of Gabriel, the boy really was quite passionate. He took up the timepiece and mouthed the word before he spoke it.

"Sylar. I like it…the Watchmaker will become Sylar."

Gabriel smiled, his eyes became fixed on Mohinder's arm as the man reached out and took the watch. For a moment he simply looked at it then he placed the cold metal onto his skin, adjusting the straps to his wrist. Those black leather straps only showed wear on one of the adjustment slots. Now two of the holes would be just a little different from the rest of the row on the strap. Gabriel's heart lurched for some reason when Mohinder has his most treasured possession gracefully worn on his slender wrist. His pale fingers reached out to trace the shape of the face, wanting to push through the gears and metal to touch the skin underneath—to feel instead his pulse and a hint of bone.

A sudden loud knock made Gabriel's fingers jerk away from the watch's surface and back to the sheets of his bed, nearly landing on Mohinder's khaki-clothed knee. He turned and slid off the bed again, undoing the locking mechanism of his door and poking his head out instead of opening it wide. Virginia stood in a plain dark skirt, ankle-length with a blouse buttoned up to her neck. Thin, gray wisps of hair pulled up into a tight bun. Her lips pulled even tighter to try and replicate a smile of warmth and acceptance. Gabriel knew better at this age.

"Gabriel what are you doing in here with the lights of—"

She stopped and looked past her son's shoulder to see the lounging form of the young Indian. Virginia pushed past the boy to walk to the bed. Trying to be as polite as she could but the look on her face was darkened by doubt and the very subtlest hints of something not quite right. Not quite pure.

"You must be Mohinder…I'm Gabriel' s mother, Virginia. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Gabriel has always had trouble making friends. I don't know why…he's so special that anyone would be lucky to count him as a friend."

Gabriel twisted his face as he watched her frail hand be enveloped in the flesh of Mohinder's own soft skin. Why was she already so determined to make Mohinder think he was a freak? Just like everyone else.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Gray, yes Gabriel has made this latest move… my best."

That got a genuine smile from the taller boy as he felt a flush of warmth crowd his cheeks. Mohinder was _not_ like the others, his peers at school. Virginia glanced back, she noticed the very same blush. Her worry only grew.

"I see…well, dinner is in a few minutes that's why I came in. Would you like to stay Mohinder?"

Gabriel knew dinner was in a few minutes. Dinner was served every evening at 5:20 sharp. Tonight would be no different, no she had to find an excuse to butt in. He took a step forward, speaking quietly.

"Actually no, Mohinder has to get back home."

Mohinder subtly gathered up their books back into his satchel and stood up again.

"Perhaps another time."

Again, the forced smile from Virginia as Mohinder went to leave, suddenly realizing he still wore the 'Sylar' watch on his wrist. His deft fingers unclasped the straps and he handed it back to Gabriel with a knowing smile. The young man left Gabriel with his mother in the room that suddenly felt very empty.

"What were you and that boy doing? And you never let anyone touch that watch…"

He sighed and moved to straighten his bed up again.

"Mohinder was helping me with my homework and I've never met anyone I wanted to touch that watch. Now I have.

Such ominous words for his mother to hear…this was not how young boys talked about their peers. That tone was off completely.

"I see. Well…dinner is soon, you should wash up."

She bit her thin lip for a moment then turned and left the room. This would have to be carefully watched. Gabriel was already 'different' enough from other boys and she would do everything in her power to make sure he grew up normal.

Gabriel moved back to the door and locked it again before he moved back to the bed. Tracing his fingertips on the spot where Mohinder had been not moments ago. It was still warm. He slid his arms across the bed and lay down on his stomach across the bed. Holding up his Sylar watch and grinning, already eager for the next day at school—for their next chapter to unfold.


End file.
